Although the year is coming to a close, the UAE's art world is not slowing down. Plenty of exhibitions are opening, from two group shows that display a wider range of work and styles to two solo works that delve deeply into the themes and style of individual artists. Here are four to check out this week.
Marina at Gallery Isabelle
The first solo exhibition of Brazilian artist Ze Tepedino in the UAE looks into the rearranging of urban materials and furniture from public spaces. Tepedino collects leftovers from Rio’s streets and beaches including discarded items such as sunburnt umbrellas, faded towels, fabric beach chairs, crumpled plastic bags and repurposes them into works of art.
While this is Tepedino's solo exhibition, there is also a single piece by Hassan Sharif, a central figure in contemporary and conceptual art in the region. Sharif employs a similar methodology of taking the discarded and mundane and elevating it into art, as seen in the 2013 work on display Towel 4 in the exhibition.
Monday to Friday, 10am-6pm; Saturday, 11am-7pm; until January 26; Dubai
Colour Gives Me Life at Firetti Contemporary
The power and influence of colour and its profound effects on physical space and our emotions is explored in this group exhibition spanning various styles and genres.
It uses colour as a medium for storytelling, delving into how it can trigger our imaginations and memories, as well as concepts of transformation and a means to record culture. Pieces on show include Lebanese artist Ihab Ahmad's vibrant illustrations, Iranian artist Siamak Azmi’s detailed works and German artist Yana Abramova’s hyper-realistic paintings.
Monday to Saturday, 11am-7pm; until February 7; Dubai
Neither Here, Nor Elsewhere at The Third Line
Spanning a range of disciplines from works on canvas and paper to photography and video art, this group exhibition explores the various modes of control spanning social norms, gender and moral codes.
The exhibition brings together artists from across Africa and Asia including Palestinian artist Faissal El-Malak, Iraqi-American-Swedish Hayv Kahraman, Iranian multi-disciplinary artist Mahsa Merci, Lebanese artist Omar Mismar and American-Qatari artist Sophia Al-Maria.
All the artists, irrespective of their backgrounds, styles and disciplines, have examined narratives of identity, desire, displacement and resistance within the context of cultural and political conditions often shaped by migration and societal marginalisation.
Monday to Sunday, 11am-7pm; until January 24; Dubai
Tam Ta – Soaked in the Long Rain at Jameel Arts Centre
The renowned Vietnamese artist Tran Luong, in his first international survey, which is considered a type of retrospective, will be on show at the Jameel Arts Centre, showcasing his very multifaceted practice.
Luong has worked across mediums. The exhibition traces his beginnings as a painter and chronicles his move towards conceptual and performance art and how he craved a path toward becoming one of Vietnam and South-East Asia’s leading figures in the contemporary art scene.
Saturday to Thursday, 10am-8pm; Friday, noon-8pm; until May 18; Dubai
